Jinting Han people

The afternoon sky was gloomy and unclear, with a few drizzles still falling. Dark clouds and smoke shrouded the surrounding area, making everything in Xuchang City appear hazy and indistinct.

After three months of fierce fighting, this last capital of the Han Dynasty and one of the five capitals of Cao Wei was in a state of utter ruin. The moat surrounding the city had been almost entirely filled in with earthen mounds, and the Qi people climbed up like ants, leaping onto the city walls behind the trenches. The sounds of bells and drums still carried on the wind, while the city, riddled with holes, was bathed in the mud, its walls and ground covered with the filth of people's feet, resembling a giant tomb.

Gradually, the sounds of bells and drums subsided. This was probably because the Qi and Han armies had simultaneously breached both the south and east gates, and the Qi and Han generals felt victory was assured, seeing no need for further morale-boosting. Instead, the clamor in the streets and alleys gradually intensified. Initially faint, as if drifting from a great distance, it soon swept into the heart of the city like a flood. This clamor included shouts, pleas, cries of anguish, and screams—a cacophony that further fueled the rage and murderous intent of those who had stormed the city.

This is understandable, as no one had anticipated that the Battle of Xuchang would last so long. Wang Mi besieged Xuchang with an army of 140,000, and Liu Bogen reinforced the city with over 70,000 more, bringing the total number of besieging troops to over 200,000—a truly staggering number. Yet, even so, Xuchang displayed astonishing resilience. Under the relentless attacks from all sides by the Qi forces, the entire city united as one and repelled more than twenty of their assaults.

The fact that the Jin army inside the city was able to hold out until now is all thanks to these two individuals.

One of them was Ji Shao, a court attendant. When the city was heavily besieged and the generals within were disoriented, he stepped forward to stabilize morale and took on the responsibility of commanding the defense. When the Qi army set fire to the city gates, he personally went to the fire, extinguished it with water, killed several soldiers, and repelled the rebels. When Wang Mi fabricated pointed wooden donkeys, he bound dry grass to arrows to resemble pheasant tails, doused them with oil, and fired them with crossbows, burning all the enemy's pointed wooden donkeys. He then proactively dug tunnels within the city to launch surprise attacks on the Qi army outside.

No one expected that Ji Shao, the Chamberlain known for his refined and elegant demeanor, would be so resourceful in warfare. It seemed that no matter what schemes the enemy had, he could immediately come up with a countermeasure, so much so that the Qi army suffered repeated setbacks and could only change from fierce attacks to long sieges.

The other was Empress Yang Xianrong. As an empress abandoned and left idle, she should have been disheartened and surrendered. However, Yang Xianrong did not give up. After being surrounded by the Qi army, she proactively contacted the officials left behind to actively discuss defense. She also took out the remaining 20,000 taels of gold, 100,000 taels of silver, and 5,000 bolts of silk from the palace to reward the soldiers. Whenever morale was low and the soldiers were exhausted, she would personally appear on the city walls to deliver soup and food to them.

Such actions naturally moved the soldiers to tears of gratitude, inspiring them to fight bravely. Some in the city had initially prepared to open the gates and surrender, but faced with this situation, they felt reluctant and ashamed, and thus abandoned the idea, lest they leave an infamy in history books, saying that they were inferior to women.

But manpower has its limits. Faced with such a vast disparity in troop strength, even the Jin army's best efforts were insufficient to change the overall situation. They could only rely on three reinforcements: Zu Ti, Wang Yan, and Wang Jun. However, Zu Ti's reinforcements were blocked, and he was now facing a second siege from Zhao Han; Wang Yan was holed up in Huainan, already struggling after his major defeat in Jingnan; and Wang Jun was powerless to defend himself and had to flee to Liaodong. What could they rely on to withstand the Qi army's fierce attack? The prayers and hopes of the people in the city?

Hope, in the end, is such a fragile thing. People yearn for miracles, but miracles don't happen out of thin air. Following the deaths of General Cao Wu and General Peng Mo, by the time of Wei (1-3 PM), Qi people appeared from all directions within the city. Moreover, they had been granted permission to raid the city for five days, looting any valuables and women they saw at will.

Therefore, these Qi people ran rampant in the city, indulging in the tyranny born of their frustration. They shouted at anyone they encountered, and if people didn't hand over their treasures, they would use women as test subjects, causing widespread suffering and death throughout the city. Many elderly and weak perished in the ditches. Meanwhile, the wealthy and powerful groveled like servants, groveling and subservient to the abuse of their wives and daughters. By late afternoon, flames were already leaping out of the city, burning fiercely in the drizzle. Apart from a few defeated soldiers who fled into the Xuchang Palace and tightly closed the city gates, there was almost no one left to resist.

Some attempted to surrender to the Qi army. For example, Sima Xiao, the Prince of Fanyang, and Pei Xian, the General of the Northern Army, disarmed themselves and led several thousand of their followers to kneel before the Qi army. However, upon hearing that they were princes of the Jin court, the Qi people not only did not treat them kindly but also revealed cruel smiles.

At a command from General Wang Zhang of the Qi-Han Army, several men pounced on Sima Xiao, pinned him down, and strangled him with their belts. They then used hooks to hoist him up by the belt and hung him on the gate for public display. Pei Xian was subsequently bound, stuffed into a sack, and thrown from the city wall, dying from the fall. Even in death, they couldn't believe that their once-proud noble birth, now the very reason for their deaths within the Qi-Han army, a predominantly populated by poor and impoverished men.

In fact, it wasn't just them. On that day, sixteen members of the imperial clan, including Sima Yang, Prince of Xiyang, Sima Shi, Prince of Pengcheng, Sima Duan, Prince of Guangchuan, and Sima Tao, Prince of Pei, also perished in Xuchang. More than a hundred high-ranking officials, including He Sui, Left Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Gao Tangchong, Grand Historian, Man Fen, Grand Herald, Xun Fan, Minister of the Ministry of Personnel, Chu Hui, General of the Vanguard, and Song Chou, General of the Central Fortress, were also affected. Apart from the high-ranking officials from Qing and Xu regions, most of the other noble families were also affected, and the noble families in the Sanhe region were almost completely wiped out.

Inside the Xuchang Palace, the defeated soldiers and refugees who had entered were bewildered and disoriented. They stood in the palace corridors and under the eaves, their bodies soaked with rain and sweat. After such a long and arduous battle, they were not only mentally exhausted but also physically starving. Under such circumstances, how long could this simple palace wall hold out? Probably only a few hours. In those final moments, everyone felt despair from the inside out.

Inside Gyeongbokgung Palace, as it was getting late, the palace servants lit many candles. The remaining hundred or so officials, along with their families, had gathered in the front hall. The Empress, along with the royal family and concubines, awaited the final moment in the rear hall.

At this moment, a palace maid summoned the Chamberlain Ji Shao to the rear hall, saying that the Empress had something to say to him. Everyone present was startled, speculating that the Empress was about to make her final decision. Given her status, the Qi people would not easily execute her; she might even have a chance to live. Now, was she preparing to die for her country? Or was she preparing to surrender?
Ji Shao remained unmoved, ignoring the whispering crowd, and followed the palace maids slowly to a side room in the rear hall. There, Yang Xianrong sat gracefully before a bronze mirror, while palace maids meticulously applied powder and makeup to her. She wore a blue and black wide-sleeved embroidered double skirt, over which she wore a five-colored silk robe. Her originally cascading long hair was tied into a bun, adorned with jade and gold hairpins, bright moon earrings, and round-toed embroidered shoes. Combined with her light gold makeup, her pure and clean face, and her well-proportioned and rounded figure, she possessed a breathtaking beauty.

Strangely, perhaps because of the ointment she had applied, the icy look in the empress's eyes gave her a resolute beauty, like a plum blossom about to wither, or like a drop of blood still wet and reflecting the flames.

She waited until Ji Shao stopped, then turned around and said softly, "Minister Ji, I have made up my mind."

Ji Shao gazed at her, bowed, and said, "Your Highness, please speak."

Yang Xianrong looked around at the palace rooms and slowly said, "Ninety-five years ago, it was right here that Empress Fu was captured by Hua Xin, dragged to the Yeting Palace with disheveled hair and bare feet, and then executed by Cao Cao. I do not want to suffer such humiliation, nor do I want to be subservient to others anymore, so I intend to immolate myself here."

Although he had expected it, Ji Shao was still moved by these words and felt a pang of sympathy. He said, "Your Highness, we still have several thousand men. Perhaps we can fight to the death and escort Your Highness out of the city."

Yang Xianrong shook his head slightly and said with a bitter smile, "Why does Attendant Ji need to deceive himself? We sent out five groups of messengers out of the city, and none of them replied. This means they have all been captured. There is a net outside. What can we, these few thousand desperate soldiers, do?"

"Moreover, they have surrounded this city because they want me. They won't give up until they see me."

Ji Shao remained silent, and at the same time he was saddened by the Empress's quick wit, and replied: "Your humble servant is an incompetent minister, and I am truly ashamed."

“No.” Yang Xianrong shook her head and said, “Attendant-in-Ordinary Ji is a pillar of the state, outstanding among his peers, as everyone knows. I invited Attendant-in-Ordinary Ji here today because I have an important matter to ask of him.”

"Important matter?" Ji Shao was a little surprised. What important matter could there be at this point?
As a result, Yang Xianrong clapped her hands slightly, and a palace maid emerged from the back room, leading a child of about five or six years old. She walked up to Yang Xianrong, and the child called out "Mother." Yang Xianrong hugged him tightly, kissed the child's cheeks twice with great affection, hung a jade pendant around the child's neck, and then placed it in front of her, saying, "Minister Ji, I want to entrust this child to you." Ji Shao was greatly shocked. After guarding the city for so long, when did such a large child appear in the palace? When he looked at the child's face, his shock deepened. Although the child's eyes were extremely similar to the Empress's, his facial features, especially his strong brow bone, prominent nose, and slightly plump ears, reminded him of another familiar face.

In an instant, Ji Shao understood. It seemed that the rumors in the city were true. The timing made sense. Little did he know that the child's father was him.

Yang Xianrong lovingly touched her son's face, then a look of reminiscence appeared on her face. After a long while, she said to Ji Shao, "His nickname is Baizhou, and his given name is Wei."

She didn't mention her surname, but Ji Shao already knew his name was Liu Wei. Ji Shao was somewhat taken aback and found it hard to understand, because although some members of the Yang clan from Mount Tai had fled, some remained in the city. Yang Xianrong wanted to entrust her son to him; how could she entrust him with such a responsibility? He immediately said, "Your Highness, if I remember correctly, your younger brother should still be in the city..."

“But they are all only of average talent, not even eleventh as good as you, and they can’t be hidden.” Yang Xianrong interrupted Ji Shao, then said in a pleading tone, “Please think of a way to take this child to his father! He has already become king in the south, and he is an old friend of yours. He will certainly not treat you badly.”

But Ji Shao did not want to agree. To be honest, wealth and honor had never been important to him.

As the son of Ji Kang, Ji Shao lived his entire life in his father's shadow, which burdened him with national and familial hatred from a young age. However, the life-saving grace of his adoptive father Shan Tao and the benevolent policies of Sima Yan made it impossible for him to seek revenge. The conflict between these two factors made him numb to life.

For decades, Ji Shao navigated the officialdom with a carefree, almost frivolous attitude. He befriended Shi Chong, joined Sun Xiu in a coup, first supporting the Prince of Zhao to usurp the throne, then siding with the Prince of Qi, betraying him, and even engaging in shady dealings with the Prince of Donghai. But on the night that would decide his fate, for reasons unknown, he abandoned the Prince of Donghai. No one knows exactly how many factions Ji Shao joined, or how many secrets he carried.

In fact, Ji Shao was simply seeking an opportunity to die, a grand death like his father Ji Kang's, so calm it was astonishing, so shocking it was enough to satirize the entire era.

He felt that the current opportunity was excellent. Ji Kang's son had died a heroic death in a bloody battle to protect the Sima clan. Perhaps even a thousand years later, people would still be moved by his sacrifice! If he agreed to Yang Xianrong's request and escorted the child to the south, he probably would never have such an opportunity again.

So his first words were: "Your humble servant is ashamed and incompetent. I am willing to die with Your Highness."

Upon hearing this, Yang Xianrong's eyes welled up with tears, and her previous composure vanished. She pleaded repeatedly, "I beg you, Your Excellency, please help me and save this child..."

While the two were at an impasse, Liu Wei, who had been silent all along, suddenly spoke up, grabbing his mother's skirt and saying, "Mother, I don't want to be with this person. He's a coward."

Yang Xianrong was taken aback, then quickly grabbed Liu Wei's hand and scolded, "Bai Zhou, don't talk nonsense! Ji Shizhong is a famous figure in the country. Don't be presumptuous!"

Liu Wei stubbornly insisted, "This person is so afraid of dying that he wants to be reincarnated as soon as possible. What else is he but a coward?"

Upon first hearing this, Ji Shao took it as a joke and asked the child, "So, your mother is a coward too?"

Unexpectedly, Liu Wei stared at him and answered clearly, "My mother has no choice, but you don't want to do it! I can tell from your eyes that you have never lived for yourself properly."

These words struck Ji Shao squarely at his core. He was stunned for a moment, then leaned down to examine Liu Wei again. After a long while, he finally spoke, "How old are you? Do you know what the situation is like now?"

Liu Wei glanced at his mother and stubbornly said to Ji Shao, "I swore to my mother that no matter what happens, I will live on, and live on for her sake too! Even without your care, I can survive!"

At this point, his eyes welled up with tears, but he stubbornly held them back, looking at Ji Shao defiantly, refusing to let them fall. As Ji Shao looked at him, he seemed to see himself again, lost and confused, when his father entrusted him with the care of his son. Looking up at Yang Xianrong, who was silently weeping, a feeling of sympathy welled up within him, causing his previously firm resolve to waver like never before.

After hesitating for a moment, Ji Shao finally made up his mind, took Liu Wei's hand from Yang Xianrong's, and promised her, "Please rest assured, Your Highness, no matter what difficulties we encounter, I will bring him to Huai Chong!"

An hour later, the Qi army breached the gates of Xuchang Palace. Amidst the fleeing palace servants, the Qi soldiers charged in, whistling and laughing. Led by Cao Yi, they abandoned everything else, eagerly searching for their greatest prize: the reigning empress.

Under questioning, they quickly arrived at Gyeongbokgung Palace. Unexpectedly, before they even entered the palace, they saw Yang Xianrong.

At this moment, Yang Xianrong stood by the window of the east pavilion of Jingfu Hall, her magnificent attire revealed. Her gaze was slightly lowered, her expression utterly calm. Beneath her, the fire raged, spreading to the second floor, billowing black smoke engulfing her. A gust of east wind swept by, and in the blink of an eye, the flames surged upwards, reducing the entire hall to ashes. Under these circumstances, no one could approach her.

As night fell and the flames died down, people found only twelve gold hairpins and a pair of pearl earrings among the ruins; nothing else remained. (End of Chapter)